jaxon woke up early again. sky was still gray. wind felt soft on his face. he sat up from the hut floor and stretched his back. everything was still quiet. he looked to the fire pit. cold ashes. he stood and walked to the trees.
he came back with sticks and dry leaves. took his time to set the fire. then he sat down and lit it. small smoke at first. then flame.
he sat near the fire and stared at it.
after a while, lina came out of her hut. hair messy. she looked half asleep. dragging her feet.
"you wake up before the sun," she said. "are you part bird?"
jaxon didn't answer. just handed her a weird-looking fruit. yellow and shaped like a twist.
"you got this for me?"
"yeah."
she smiled. "you're sweet when you don't talk."
they sat by the fire and ate. the fruit was soft. tasted like banana but not really. jaxon didn't say anything about it. lina chewed slow.
"you think this is poisonous?" she asked.
jaxon looked at his half-eaten one. "if it is, we're both dead."
she nodded. "romantic."
they finished eating. jaxon stood up and grabbed the net they made yesterday. it was a bit crooked but it worked. he walked to the water.
lina followed. "you're going fishing?"
"yeah."
"can i help or do i ruin everything?"
jaxon didn't answer. he dropped the net into the water. tied it between two poles they stuck into the sand before.
lina watched him.
"you're so focused all the time. it's scary," she said. "do you ever think about fun?"
"no."
"figured."
jaxon checked the net. small fish swam in. he waited. then pulled it out. three fish.
lina clapped softly. "you're good at this. must be nice being useful."
"you're not useless."
she looked at him. blinked.
"that's the nicest thing you've said to me."
jaxon shrugged. "don't get used to it."
she smiled.
they walked back to camp. started cleaning the fish. lina made faces the whole time.
"this is gross," she said. "i'm a book girl. not a fish girl."
"then stop watching."
"but if i don't watch, you'll forget i exist."
jaxon kept cleaning.
fire was still warm. they roasted the fish and ate.
after breakfast, jaxon checked his book again. it was lying near the flat stone. he touched the pages. still damp. not enough sun yet.
he frowned.
lina peeked over his shoulder. "still wet?"
"yeah."
"you really love that book."
"it helps."
she nodded. "i get it."
they sat by the fire again. wind was light now. sun started to warm the sand. it was calm.
after a while, lina stood up.
"i'm bored."
jaxon didn't look at her.
"let's do something."
"like what."
"sandcastles."
jaxon looked at her. "again?"
"yes."
he sighed. stood up.
they walked to the beach. sat down where the sand was soft. lina dug with her hands. jaxon picked a flat rock again. no plan. they just started making shapes.
lina made a small tower.
jaxon made a long wall.
"yours is too square," she said.
"yours is falling."
"rude."
jaxon smirked a little. almost like a smile. lina noticed.
"was that a smile?"
"no."
"i saw it."
jaxon didn't reply. kept building.
they kept working. made four towers again. a moat. lina found shells and put them on the walls.
jaxon leaned back. watched the water come closer.
"it'll be gone by sunset," he said.
"everything is," she said.
they didn't speak for a while.
jaxon stood and looked out to sea. long and empty. nothing there.
lina watched him.
"you miss your home?"
jaxon was quiet. then said, "not really."
she tilted her head. "really?"
jaxon nodded. "i didn't have much there."
lina sat down again. pulled her knees up.
"same."
jaxon looked at her. waited.
she smiled, but her eyes didn't.
"books were my home," she said. "i didn't really like people."
"you're around one now."
"you're not people. you're... you."
jaxon sat beside her again.
they didn't speak for a while. just listened to the waves.
then lina leaned over. bumped his shoulder.
"you're not so bad to be stuck with."
jaxon didn't move.
she laid back on the sand. looked up at the sky.
"you think anyone's looking for us?"
jaxon didn't answer.
she closed her eyes.
"if not... i guess this isn't the worst place to be."
jaxon looked down at her. her hair was messy. sand stuck to her cheek.
she opened one eye. "you're staring."
"you're loud even with your eyes closed."
"you like it."
jaxon didn't say anything.
the sun was higher now. warm enough to lie in.
he leaned back. sat beside her. not too close. but not far either.
lina put her hand in the sand and drew a little heart with her finger.
"you see that?" she said.
"what."
"nothing," she said, and wiped it away.
jaxon stared at the sea again.
he reached into his pocket. opened the system quietly.
[lvl: 2 | coins: 17]
[shop: open]
he bought rope. small shovel. a tarp.
he closed it fast. lina didn't notice.
she was humming again. something soft. made-up.
jaxon sat there for a while. thinking about nothing. maybe something. hard to tell.
the sandcastle was still standing. for now.